Madikwe Game Reserve, Malaria Free, Family Friendly Reserve
As a Family Safari specialist we’ve seen a growing interest in child-friendly safari options especially in the malaria-free areas of South Africa. Madikwe Reserve is a small and unique alliance between the local communities, private enterprise and the North West Parks Board. Bordering Botswana on the north with the Great Marico River, it is one of Cedarberg African Travel’s favourite malaria-free family safari options.
The overall game viewing is excellent and the reserve boasts the Big Five and over 230 recorded bird species. You can also expect to see its packs of wild dog which are regularly sighted as well as black and white rhino, extensive plains game, including sable, gemsbok, springbok and giraffe.
Two of our consultants, Mari and Wanda, recently visited a number of the Madikwe lodges and this is the first in a series of posts on Madikwe.
Jaci’s Lodges are one of our favourites and cater for children of all ages. The personal service is excellent.
Jaci’s Game Lodges consist of two separate game lodges, Jaci’s Safari Lodge and Jaci’s Tree Lodge on the eastern part of the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve.Children can share in the suites with the parents or a family can bookthe exclusive Nare Suite- which has its own private guide and private landrover for a tailor-made safari experience for your family (but comes at a price!)Jaci’s Tree Lodge, is definitely our favourite lodge in the Madikwe Reserve and has huge tree suites where up to three extra children can easily share the room with the adults. Children are accommodated on stretcher beds (so we don’t recommend it for older children). You also need to be aware that the bathroom is open plan, with a screen which you can use to screen the bath (with an enclosed toilet) so this may not suit all families.
Children aged 10 and under, sharing with their parents in the same room, qualify for a special children’s rate. (They will allow older children as well to share but you need to be aware of the sleeping arrangements – see above). This special child rate includes child minders and the daily ‘jungle drive’ for younger children. Older children from 8 upwards are allowed on the adult drive and will have dinner in the dining room on their return from the evening drive.
The jungle drive takes place during the day, usually immediately after breakfast - this is anything from ½ to 1 hour depending on the interest levels of the children on the drive. Parents are welcome to come along but must not behave like adults! We find that Jaci’s is flexible about these age limits. If you have two older children who can come on the main game drive and a younger child of 6 or 7 (who’s fairly mature and able to cope with a 3 hour+ game drive), they will usually allow them to join their parents and older siblings rather than be the child left behind.
We really recommend the specialized childrens’ safaris which are an optional extra. These can be booked directly at the Lodges and are recommended for children aged 3 - 7 years old. The children’s safaris go out every morning and evening whilst their parents are on game drive.
Another very child friendly safari lodge is Tuningi Safari Lodge which is on the western side of Madikwe Game Reserve. The lodge area is fenced so it is very safe for families. We especially love the two bedroom suites that are perfect for families with older children or 3 children.
Tuningi Safari Lodge is an elegant game lodge on the western side of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. The décor is a mix of colonial and modern African influences. They also offer baby sitting and do a shorter drive for children under 6 after main morning drive. The rooms are large and can accommodate 2 smaller children (12 years and under) on camp beds (not proper beds).The family suites consist of 2 en-suite bedrooms, lounge in between, dining room and kitchen. Unfortunately there’s no child rate for the first two children in these rooms but a third child will have a reduced rate. Children of 6 years and up can go on game drive. One of these family suites is a little further away from the camp and can be booked, along with a separate suite, as Little Tuningi. If Little Tuningi is taken then you have a private ranger and landrover at your disposal. Little Tuningi works very well when we have grandparents, parents and grandchildren all travelling together.
We really liked the management couple as they seem geared towards families. The more mature guides also work well with families.
Thakadu River Camp – Great Value for money and perfect for the family seeking a less expensive option. The rooms are small but newly furnished and fresh in style.
Thakadu is a community-owned and community-driven project. The tented rooms are small but very nice with all the normal amenities and each has stunning views over the Marico River. The guides are all local and have the advantage of knowing the area very well as well as its unique history.There are 12-tented suites and Little Thakadu is an 8-bed satellite camp that can be rented exclusively. Some of Thakadu’s tents (Family Tents) allow two smaller children on a sleeper couch and are available at an excellent rate for families. The Main Lodge is completely open plan and use natural stone and included stunning fire-place and sitting areas for relaxing.
Morokuru is one of our personal favourites as well. It has a stunning open-plan design with large windows and a modern décor with clean lines and bright colours. Our clients feel really very special here. There are two houses and they are available only as a unit. You can take either house or both together. The Owners House has two bedrooms but generally they do not allow children in that house. Morukuru House is a 3 bedroom villa so perfect for larger families with children. Again sometimes a large family party takes the Owners House for the grandparents or adult children with the parents/grandchildren taking Morukuru House.
If you want more information on these lodges please look at our website on www.cedarbergtravel.com or email me on mari@cedarberg.co.za